Spotlight Series: 2 Moms Celebrate Mother’s Day For The First Time

In celebration of Mother’s Day, we talked to two moms that are celebrating for the first time this year with their newborn baby.

TNF: How does it feel to finally be a mom?

Christina: We LOVE it! Yes, every night is a sleepless night but she is worth it.

TNF: Did you and your wife always know you wanted to have kids?

Christina: I always wanted to have kids. My wife Katie didn’t want any until she met me. It was our dream for her to carry my egg so we were both part of the making of our child.

TNF: How has having a baby changed your life?

Christina: Having a baby definitely changes many things. I used to work out every single day and I haven’t worked out since she was born. It is a whole new routine but I am always on my feet doing something for both of them. Having a baby is a lot of work so it is very important to work together as a team.

TNF: What does motherhood mean to you?

Christina: Motherhood to me means making my life complete. I can’t imagine us not sharing our lives with a child. She makes us a family. Before she was born I always felt like something was missing.

TNF: Tell us about your family creation process?

Christina: We did Reciprocal IVF. We used a donor sperm from a clinic, my egg, and Katie’s body. We felt this was a way for both of us to be a part of the process of making her. Research shows that women who carry babies, even if they aren’t genetically theirs, inherit genes from growing inside.

TNF: Who carried? Was that a tough decision?

Christina: Katie carried. It wasn’t a tough decision since we had it planned for a while. We don’t know what will happen in the future but we do know there will be siblings (I want 2 more but Katie wants 1 more). We still have 11 embryos in the freezer. I loved watching her stomach grow. I will admit there is a part of you that feels left out when some people around you don’t see you as having a baby since you aren’t the one pregnant. There are also people who refer to our daughter as “Katie’s baby” and it’s rough. You just have to keep in mind the baby is both of yours, regardless of genetics, and that you are a family.

TNF: Any advice for prospective parents?

Christina: My advice is to be aware of all the things that can go wrong. The whole process is so exciting that you forget it might not work. We were very motivated and thought nothing would go wrong because of how young we both were. We didn’t think we would even try IVF for a second time because of the emotional and financial aspect of it. I am so glad we did though because we got our beautiful daughter Kennedy. Make sure you also save, save, save. This will be one less thing to worry about it when it comes to paying all the IVF bills. You don’t need to stress about money because there will be plenty of other things to worry about. Whatever it is you go through in making a baby, remember that you are a team and you can get through anything together. The journey of making Kennedy made us a stronger couple.

TNF: What do you wish for your child?

Christina: I wish for our child to have a happy life. She has two parents who love her dearly. She is surrounded by family and friends that love her and support our life. I think that is all she needs. Our society is more accepting of our life now than it was even a few years ago.

TNF: What is the best advice you have been given about being a parent?

Christina: The best advice I have been given as a parent is to love your child unconditionally. You can do anything as a parent when you set your mind to it. My mom did an amazing job with me and I look up to her as my role model. I hope to be as amazing of a mom as she is to me.

Thank you Christina and Katie for sharing your story. Happy Mother’s Day to both of you from our family to yours.